Jens Schröter

Jesus and His Promised Second Coming

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this fascinating book, Tucker Ferda tackles an old question in historical Jesus research from a fresh perspective. Contrary to common views, he relates the expectation of Jesus’s second coming not to later interpretation, but to Jesus himself. In a thorough and erudite study of the history of reception, Ferda shows that the dissociation of Jesus’s second coming from his own teaching derives from an anti-Jewish prejudice that goes back as far as the ancient Adversus Iudaeos tractates. This book challenges a consensus in Jesus scholarship with groundbreaking observations and arguments. It deserves a firm place in future discussions on the subject.”

Shaping the Past to Define the Present

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Building on his earlier study Historiography and Self-Definition, Gregory Sterling develops a model for interpreting Luke-Acts as ‘apologetic historiography.’ By comparing Luke’s work with Josephus’s Antiquities and Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History, Sterling shows that they shared a concern for antiquity, but at the same time differed in the ways they presented history to their readers. Focusing on specific sections of Acts, Sterling shows that Luke wrote a continuation of the Septuagint and understood God’s action in history through Jesus and the church as a period of fulfillment. This is an important study on Luke-Acts and ancient historiography by a world-leading scholar that will be read with great profit by scholars and students.”

The First Biography of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In her well written study Helen Bond makes a strong case for reading Mark’s Gospel as an ancient biography. Her careful analysis of ancient bioi shows why the genre of the gospels matters. Moreover, Mark’s Gospel is approached from a literary as well as a historical perspective to demonstrate that the work was written by a creative and learned author who provides a vivid portrait of Jesus. This study opens up a fresh reading of Mark which overcomes less-helpful alternatives of previous scholarship.”

The Gospel and the Gospels

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In a stimulating and provocative way, Gathercole argues that the early Christian kerygma from 1 Cor 15 is the appropriate criterion for a comparison of early Christian gospels. This study is invaluable for further study of the relationship between canonical and apocryphal gospels and the formation of the four-gospel collection of the New Testament. It is a must read for all who are interested in this debate.”